Sat, 17 Feb 2018 02:37:17 -0500WeeblyFri, 09 Sep 2016 16:57:42 GMThttp://www.eco-audit.ca/blog/binners-and-us Before I start on this topic, many people are wondering what some of these topics have to do with the environment. ECO-audit’s mandate does include social justice and no cruelty to animals. Why? Because that is true Sustainability. Sustainability is sometimes falsely believed to be strictly about the environment. But think about the meaning of the word - what is able to be sustained over a long period of time. Sustainability includes social justice, the humane treatment of animals, and all the ramifications of positive environmental choices such as good health, or the tiny carbon footprint from choosing local.

So, on to Binners. Binners and us. A very politically loaded topic. Political because of class, race, and property values. Right from the title, I have already separated Binners from us. And yet, it is a fact that presently in Canada many of us are ONE paycheque away from Homelessness. Or, as some people say: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” All over the world - and in B.C. - the ranks of the homeless are only increasing due to insufficient minimum wages, too low welfare payments, unaffordable housing, and greed. In some countries, you see whole families living on the sidewalk. So, why do we begrudge these people such a meagre living? People who have nothing? All over Canadian cities public benches have been removed or now have dividers so the homeless can't sleep on them, bus shelters have been so minimized they barely shelter the smallest senior waiting for a bus, let alone the homeless overnight, and fear and hostility greet them in many public places - which then deserve to lose the denomination of public - because public means everybody. Have you cursed binners as they throw cans out of your building’s garbage bin and wake you up at 6 am? Have you stopped people in your building leaving cans and bottles out for binners because it would “attract them”? Why are the people putting RECYCLABLES in the GARBAGE not the ones being stigmatized?There would be no binners if there was nobody consistently not recycling. It just shows what kind of society we are, and what we value. Despite the superficial lip service paid to being green, here we are not valuing the TRUE recyclers - we are valuing our sleep, appearances, and property values. Metro Vancouver BANNED putting recyclables in the garbage many years ago. Binners are a symptom that shows the extent of the problem - we are into the 21st century, we know all the environmental problems, yet the percentage of recyclables actually recycled is very low. Many buildings, especially Stratas, are now locking their garbage bins -- so we don’t even SHARE our GARBAGE with these people (despite all the lip service about learning to share in Kindergarden), thus ensuring these recyclables are NOT recycled! It defies logic. We also have to consider other issues involved in all the hostility towards the homeless and binners. A percentage of people on the street have mental health problems - there is not enough affordable, supported housing for this population. A provincial government decision turned them out of institutions some years ago, without adequate supports, adding a sizeable percentage to the homeless population of that time. Mental health issues require our maturity and informed understanding. Any one of us can have mental health issues at any time, especially if stressed by unemployment, or homelessness. A percentage of those on the street are members of First Nations, having also to deal with racism, ignorance, and the legacy of the Residential Schools. Too many Canadians remain ignorant of the full extent of the impact of racism and colonialism on First Nations peoples, thus maintaining the inequality. For example, members of First Nations have the lowest income of ALL groups in Canada, and therefore a higher risk of homelessness. Not all binners are homeless, some live in the Downtown Eastside (another topic) or elsewhere. Not all homeless are binners. United We Can is a fantastic agency in the Downtown Eastside, supporting those who collect recyclables. Its forerunner, S.O.L.E., was an environmental group started by binners. In the early 90’s, S.O.L.E. was a voice pressuring the government for a recycling, and a deposit system. They were instrumental in the systems we have today. They are part of our environmental history. Today, United We Can offers all kinds of services to local businesses, creating jobs for its demographic. This is wonderful Social Sustainability.

ECO-audit.caYour greenblueprint]]>Fri, 22 Jul 2016 02:48:07 GMThttp://www.eco-audit.ca/blog/our-personal-financial-sustainability-part-1Society has become more aware of how sustainability involves many different spheres, and is not only about preserving the earth. There is even talk about how an enterprise or a business needs to be financially sustainable, or it won't be able to last. We don't see much discussion, however, about how our personal finances, our lives, need to be financially sustainable.

Canadians used to carry very little debt in comparison with Americans, and had a saving mentality. That has changed in the last couple of decades. Canadians now carry a large amount of debt, and take enormous risks. 2 examples: very few of us manage to have a 3-month emergency fund, and seniors are now retiring in debt.​The reasons for this situation are many. For many of us, wages that have not kept up with inflation, or low minimum wages that keep working people at poverty level don't allow for any savings, and keep people on survival mode. For others who can afford it, instant gratification or greed lead them into debt. Financial institutions are also to blame. In terms of the sustainability of a society, this situation is not sustainable yet there is no discussion of this, only constant encouragements to borrow, buy, invest, and use credit.

We do have some control of our personal finances though. And for any help with that I recommend Gail Vaz-Oxlade, through her TV shows, books, and website. She gives you the hard truth. A recent column of hers was entitled Stop focusing on a good credit score, start focusing on debt. Why? What does a good credit score entail?

it rewards using several types of credit, instead of you limiting your debt

credit utilization rules are designed to make you carry high credit limits

To quote Gail, ​"the very things that give you a high score - that make you a profitable customer - are completely counter to sound money management", andpresently lenders don't "look at your character, capacity to repay, or credit history".​So there you have it, and Gail actually uses the term financial sustainability. ​Stay tuned for part 2 on Credit Unions.

Earth Day is officially on April 22, but public celebrations take place on the closest Saturday and Sunday. This year there was very little fanfare about Earth Day.

History of Earth DayGaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin senator, after seeing the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969, had the idea for a national Teach-In on the environment. Seeing the very effective college campus activism against Vietnam, he wanted to involve college activists as much as possible, and thought that week was the best one for them. On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day took place in the United States, and the country came out in force. Out of this movement was born the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) that same year, a much respected organisation in North America. Later came the Clean Air act (’70), Clean Water act (’72), and Endangered Species act (’73). In 1990, Earth Day went global and 141 countries participated. The elder Bush declared it a national holiday, but it is not a Federal Holiday, it is in the same category as Halloween or Mother’s Day. By 2001, 184 countries participated.

Political RelevancyOf course, the danger with having one Earth Day per year is that some people will attribute as much importance to it as they do to Halloween, and after the kids do the face painting in the park the whole family drives back home to barbecue burgers from beef raised in the former Amazon, eat them on styrofoam plates, even though they are home, and drink their bottled water! People groan when they hear 'every day is earth day'.Overlapping dangers are that it becomes set in stone, loses relevancy, is no longer publicly controlled, and becomes an entity in itself, like a corporation. Witness how Earth Day is trademarked in Canada, as is the logo. Trademarking Earth Day is like trademarking the Happy Birthday song, or the knowledge of First Nations anywhere in the world -- and they’ve all taken place. It is very interesting to see the evolution of Earth Day in the U.S. -- there were originally 2 main organizing groups with different values, tactics, and sponsors. Perhaps one important point to remember on Earth Day is that 130 species become extinct per DAY, that’s 1,000 times faster than natural extinction rates -- 70% of plants on earth are threatened with extinction.

The theme recently is on encouraging us to plant trees. This is starting to follow the same pattern as with pollution and recycling, where the onus was put on the individual and the household: mandating, legislating, and policing individual and household recycling, while leaving huge gaps and loopholes where the bulk of the problem really sits - with construction, industry, and corporations. We wouldn't all need to go out and plant trees, if governments did the job we pay them for of protecting the environment, and corporations didn't clear cut, strip mine, and frack.

]]>Wed, 13 Apr 2016 03:47:20 GMThttp://www.eco-audit.ca/blog/workplace-bullyingWorkplace harassment litigation is on the rise in Canada in the last few years: experts estimate 40% of Canadians are bullied at work. Together with victims of gender and 'race' (see our Glossary) discrimination, as well as of discrimination in other prohibited areas, victims of bullying are being left without other avenues besides the courts. Being unionized does not necessarily help. Some Canadian institutions, including crown corporations, federal public security organizations, and big-box stores, have recently been rocked by accusations of harassment, bullying, gender discrimination, or worse, sexual assault.

In British Columbia, workers would be hard pressed to take comfort in the 'new' anti-bullying rules that came into effect in November of 2013. Lawyers themselves state Canadian legislation lacks teeth, and, as with sexual assault, targets are re-victimized whether they go to court or not. The pattern is that victims lose their jobs (or quit to save their health), but bullies don't, employers don't act, and victims have difficulty finding other employment, having been branded 'troublemakers'.

Tell your bullying story, and hear so many others in the room tell theirs, especially among women. This would indicate an epidemic.According to a 2014 survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute in the U.S.:

31% of workplace bullies are women

68% of them target other women

female targets of female bullies lose their jobs 89% of the time

72% of employers deny, rationalize or defend the abuse

Unlike schoolyard bullies, who target those deemed 'inferior', workplace bullies actually target those deemed 'superior'. Apparently, workplace bullies act out of insecurity, and target co-workers they feel threatened by (consciously or unconsciously), such as those with higher qualifications, more experience, or better social skills. In Canada, EQ, emotional intelligence, remains something only talked about, but not screened for in hiring.

]]>Mon, 04 Apr 2016 19:46:35 GMThttp://www.eco-audit.ca/blog/cruisesCruises are very popular on the West Coast. They are a relaxed way to enjoy the pristine coast, the fresh air, the wildlife. Are you aware, however, that cruise ships are heavily polluting and hardly regulated? Canadian regulations are practically non-existent, and more relaxed than the United States’.It is left up to each company to upgrade what they want. Ships routinely dump oily bilge water, food waste, graywater, sludge, garbage, and, yes, toilet sewage too. Companies differ in their level of polluting and ships in each company differ as well. The best thing you can do is choose a ship that minimally pollutes.

Get a hold of these facts - how could cruise ships not pollute? • Your average cruise ship travelling in B.C. carries 3,000 passengers and crew!! • About 300 cruise ships travel between B.C. and Alaska per year • Per year that’s about one million passengers and about 12,000 crew • These ships’ emissions and discharges are virtually unmonitored, and their wastewater is virtually untreated • Now you do the math! • Besides the serious pollution of marine environments, there is also air pollution, and beach pollution when all the junk washes ahore -- don’t go swimming when you dock! • The incinerators and the high-sulphur fuel used discharge 3 times more carbon emissions than aircraft, trains, and passenger ferries • The contamination of marine environments with bacteria, contaminates shellfish -- don’t eat shellfish when you come home!

Six years ago, Schwartzenegger put a definite end to cruise ship dumping in California waters. Why can’t Canada do the same? Why can’t we protect the Georgia Straight and the Inside Passage?

Get all your facts before you book, to truly have a peaceful vacation. Check out these sources: